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On Friday, the USL Championship will have its first nationally televised match of the new 2021 season on ESPN2’s airwaves. The hosts, Phoenix Rising, will break in their new stadium at Wild Horse Pass as they look to replicate last year’s Western Conference title.
The visiting San Diego Loyal, however, makes the matchup about more than just 90 minutes of soccer.
The last time these two teams faced off was also San Diego’s final regular season game. In it, now-former Phoenix attacker Junior Flemmings directed a homophobic slur at Loyal midfielder Collin Martin — the only openly gay active professional in men’s team sports. What followed ended up becoming one of the most widely discussed moments in the USL’s 2020 season.